Process for manufacturing iron and steel from oxygen-containing baths.



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ADOLF KLINKENBERG, OF DORTMUND, GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING IRON AND STEEL FROM OXYGEN-CONTAINING BA'IHS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AnoLr KLINKENBERG, chemist, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at Dortmund, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Manufacturing Iron and Steel from Oxygen-Containing Baths, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of iron and steel from oxygen containing baths and consists in a novel and advantageous manner of effecting the deoxidation of the bath. For this purpose the invention makes use of carbo-hydrates as deoxidizing agents. It has been found that the addition of carbohydrates to oxygen containing iron baths has the effect of completely deoxidizing such baths of iron and steel, this eflect being obtained while only traces of carbon enter into the bath. The iron and steel material which is obtained from the iron baths deoxidized in the said manner is of very high quality, and a special advantage of the process consists therein that it allows the production of very soft iron.

The several substances which are known in chemistry as carbo-hydrates may be used for eflecting the deoxidation of the iron baths. For instance sugar, starch and cellulose and materials which contain these substances especially wood and herbaceous plants such as heather and litter collected from the woods have been used with good success. The purer the carbo-hydrates the more intensive the effect on the iron bath and the less the consumption for producing the same effect. l/Vhen sugar was used as deoxidizing agent 2.5 kilograms were suflicient to completely deoxidize 1000 kilograms of steel; the same amount of material was required when starch was used. When cellulosic material, such as wood shavings were used a to 5 kilograms were required for each 1000 kilograms of steel.

The carbohydrates are preferably used in more or less finely divided condition for instance, cellulose in the form of wood shavings and wood dust. The addition is preferably made by introducing packages of carbo-hydrates in required quantity into the ingot mold while the molten iron or steel is poured therein. If packages of wood shavings or the like are used these may have a weight of 8 to 10 kilograms. Thls procedure brings the molten iron or steel through- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

Application filed April 6, 1917. Serial No. 160,320.

out into intimate contact with the carbo-hy-' drate material within the ingot mold and secures in this way thorough deoxidation. Under normal conditions the deoxidation is practically finished as soon as the pouring of the iron or steel bath into the ingot mold is finished.

This method of treating the bath is especially advantageous, producing in addition to deoxidation desulfurization sufficient to reduce the sulfur-content of the metal to 02%. In the so called Thomas-process, on the addition of ferro-manganese to the bath, sulfur is removed to a small extent only, the sulfur-content of the metal rarely falling below 04%. It is verydesirable to produce a low sulfur-steel, and this is accomplished by the addition of carbo-hydrates to the liquid steel.

Care should be taken that the treatment of the iron and steel baths with carbo-hydrates according to this invention is effected under conditions excluding reoxidation of the bath. Therefore the baths rich in oxygen should be freed from slag before deoxidizing with carbo-hydrates.

What I claim is:

1. Process for manufacturing iron and steel from oxygen containing iron baths consisting in treating the molten metal while substantially out of contact with slag with carbo-hydrate material so as to effect its deoxidation.

2. Process for manufacturing iron and steel from oxygen containing iron baths consisting in bringing the molten oxygen containing metal into intimate contact with carbo-hydrate containing material while being poured into an ingot mold.

3. Process for manufacturing iron and steel from oxygen containing iron baths consisting in introducing packages containing carbo-hydrate into an ingot mold and pouring the molten metal into said mold so as to bring it into intimate contact with the contents of said packages.

4. Process for manufacturing iron and steel from oxygen containing iron baths consisting in bringing the molten oxygen con taining metal into intimate contact with carbo-hydrates in divided condition while being poured into an ingot mold.

5. Process for manufacturing iron and steel from oxygen containing iron baths consisting in introducing packages containing carbo-hydrates in divided condition into an mold so as to bring it into intimate contact 10 ingot mold and pouring the molten metal With the contents of said packages.

into said mold so as to bring it into intimate In testimony whereof I affix my signature contact With the contents of said packages. In presence of two witnesses.

6. Process for manufacturing iron and ADOLF KLINKENBERG steel from oxygen containing iron baths consisting in introducing packages of cellulose Vitnesses:

material in divided condition into an ingot FRANCES NUFER,

mold and pouring the molten metal into said FREDERICK J. DIETZMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. G. 

